“Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15 NLT)
In yesterday’s post we looked at crying in the context of our sin and essentially asked the question: “Is our crying the result of being caught in our sin, or because our sin grieves the heart of God; are we unhappy about the consequences of our sin we have to face or are we disappointed in ourselves and desiring to move beyond our sin to become more like Christ?”
The truth is there are a lot of reasons we cry, not necessarily because of our own sin, but because of the fact we’re a part of the human family. We rightly cry when a loved one dies, a friend loses someone or has to deal with a sickness or disease, or when someone close to us loses their job or suffers loss in other ways.
Just as it’s appropriate and common to rejoice with those who have good fortune – birthdays, graduations, promotions, etc., it’s also right and befitting to cry with those who are having difficulty and experiencing tragedy. These things won’t happen in heaven, but we experience them on earth because of the fall of Adam and Eve.
We may live in this world of evil but, as believers in Jesus, this is not our home. Our home is in heaven where everything will be perfect. There will be no sin, thus, no reason to be afraid of calamity or harm. There will be no fear or needs of any kind. Life will be filled with joy and celebration because there will never be a circumstance that isn’t motivated by and filled with love.
But that’s not life on earth. Here, because of our corporate sin as a human family, we face fear, death, defilement of unspeakable measures. As I write today it’s in the wake of Hamas’ attacks on Israel and the murder and capture of civilians against whom have been committed unbelievable atrocities. And the agony and torment that is added to the suffering is its acceptance and support from many across our world, even in the U.S.
It reminds me of Jesus’ words in John 16:20: “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to Me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy.” We agonize over many things with which we have to deal as human beings, but as believers in the risen Christ, one day, sooner than any of us can imagine, we’ll stand in awe in the presence of our reigning King Jesus, celebrating His victory over sin, death, and the grave forever.
A Christian brother and his wife recently had to make the decision to allow life support to be removed from their severely injured daughter, the agony of which I can’t begin to imagine. Their tears will one day be dried, the heartbreak that accompanies them, will one day be healed, and their faith rewarded. Many things we experience in this life aren’t designed to make us bitter, but to enable us to become more like Jesus.
The writer of the Hebrew letter reminds us in 5:7-8: “While Jesus was here on earth, He offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue Him from death. And God heard His prayers because of His deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God’s Son, He learned obedience from the things He suffered.”
Regardless of the cause of your tears, know this – if your heart beats to bring pleasure to Jesus, one day all your suffering will come to an eternal end, the bliss of your new environment will erase every trace of whatever suffering you have experienced on this earth, and every tear will be wiped from your eyes. Be comforted by that hope and share it with others as our lives on earth are being drawn rapidly to a close.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 